The present invention relates to automotive vehicles of the van type and more particularly to a thermal draft guard for the rear compartment of such van type vehicles.
Van type vehicles can be of the custom van type, minivan type and utility van type. With each of these van type vehicles, when the side sliding door, or in some vans side doors that swing like a normal car door (a barn door type door), in the cargo or rear portion of the van and when the rear door of such a van are open, a draft caused by the outside air is present within the rear portion of the van. In certain instances, these drafts can cause the occupants in the rear portion of the van to be uncomfortable, or can cause the equipment in the rear portion of the van to be inefficient in operation. In minivans and in custom vans, when the side and/or the rear doors of the rear portion of the vans are opened during the summer, the hot drafts from the outside air upsets the air conditioning balance and o thereby makes the occupants of this portion of the van uncomfortable. The same is true in the winter, when the outside cold air is allowed to enter the van which upsets the heat provided by the heater of the vehicle. In the case of regular or utility vans, the worker employing such vans has cargo therein which he must get to at various times in the course of his employment and the undesired drafts from the outside make it uncomfortable for the worker inside the van. For instance, it has been a common practice in recent days for phone and electrical system workers to make their o splice; and other electrical connections within the van to protect: them from the inclement weather. To do this, either the side and/or rear doors in the rear portion of the van must be open at least slightly to permit the wires to enter the same for the worker to accomplish his task.
In other occupations, such as a carpet cleaner, a machine, is disposed within the rear portion of the van in such a manner that it is accessible through the side door, or the rear door of the rear or cargo portion of the van. The carpet cleaning machine employed in such instances, as well as other similar types of machines, have a heat exchanger therein which converts input water to either steam or hot; water, or a combination thereof. When drafts from the outside air, particularly during the cold winter weather, enters the cargo portion of the van the efficiency of the heat exchanger is reduced. Such a reduction in efficiency, reduces the efficiency of the rug cleaning and as a result the rug is not as clean and dry as desired.